World can expect fine Italian wine produced in 2013

Italy's grape harvest in 2013 showed a 15-percent increase compared to 2012, according to the Italian enologists' association Assoenologi. It could mean a record output in terms of quantity and quality, experts said.

The total harvest was between 64 and 67 million quintals of grapes, with which "Italy will be able to produce around 47 to 48 million hectolitres of wine this year," Giuseppe Martelli, director of Assoenologi said.

The association foresees that Italy will produce more wine than France, its main competitor. Winemakers and experts seemed very satisfied, especially after two years of below-average production because of bad weather.

"It has been a good year for our region, and we will have a high quality production of wines," Giovanni Correggia told Xinhua. The 22-year-old winemaker took up the reins of his father's winery house in Canale, a small city in the northwest Piedmont region. With around 20 hectares of vineyards, they produce 135,000 bottles a year.

Their area is well-known for the white wine the Arneis. Though Correggia winery has prided itself on its red wine, Roero. Their Roero Roche d'Ampsej 2009 Reserve was just given the "5 Grappoli" (Five Grapes) award, as one of the most excellent wines selected by the Association of Italian Sommeliers (AIS).

"The weather has not been too hot and it has allowed for slower and more measured grape maturation," Correggia explained. "We finished harvesting very late in October, something that our grandfathers used to do. It will be good for white wines especially, but also for our red which needs a longer growth period on the plant to give its best taste," he said.

Wine is not just a matter of tradition or prestige in Italy, but also of income.